PAAD: The Planetary Aeolian Analog Database

The Terrestrial Analogs Data Portal (TADP; https://tadp.astrogeology.usgs.gov/) has been established as a repository and data discovery portal which leverages USGS ScienceBase, a trusted long-term digital repository that provides access to all USGS data services. Creation of the TADP service is in response to a number of NASA-generated reports identifying the need for a permanent planetary analog repository which adheres to standards-based archives. Presented here is the first version of the Planetary Aeolian Analog Database (PAAD) that will be incorporated into the TADP. This dataset is focused on dune field analogs, currently comprising 45 sites from all over the world and includes a set of "core" attributes (that is, types of bedforms present, climate class, sand source, sand composition, latitude, longitude, average elevation, and approximate areal coverage). In the next iteration we plan to increase the number of dune field sites in the database and expand the number of attributes with more detailed information, such as dune field age, vegetation coverage, average annual precipitation, temperature (annual average, maximum, and minimum), surface geology, etc. Our goal for PAAD is to incorporate data from peer-reviewed publications and some grey materials (e.g., PhD. dissertations) while maintaining a high degree of scientific quality, integrity, and pedigree.